The High Lord - Chapter 38: The Black Magicians
by ChemistBee
Summary: An alternate ending to The High Lord, the third and final book of The Black Magician Trilogy. I love happy endings so I thought why not give Akkarin and Sonea one! This chapter is basically the same as Trudi Canavan's chapter 38, however I changed a bit to achieve the happy ending! None of these characters are mine - they all belong to Trudi Canavan. Enjoy!
1. The High Lord - Chapter 38: The Black Ma

**The High Lord - Chapter 38: The Black Magicians**

For the last hour, messengers had reported that the Ichani were slowly making their way towards the Guild, destroying houses as they went. Sonea and Akkarin has hurried to the volunteers, who had dealt with their swift visit with admirable tolerance and courage, then raced back to the Inner Circle. During the journey Sonea has burned with impatience, but as she stepped through the secret door into Lorlen's office she began to wish the journey hadn't passed so quickly. Suddenly her knees were weak, her hands were shaking, and she could not help feeling there must be something they had forgotten to do.

Akkarin paused for a moment to look around the office. He sighed, then shrugged out of his shirt. Sonea pulled the dress over her head and dropped it to the floor. She looked down at herself and shivered. Full magician's robes... black magician's robes...

Then she looked at Akkarin. He stood straighter, taller. A little trill ran down her back, similar to the fear he had once inspired.

Akkarin glances at her and smiled. 'Stop leering at me.'

Sonea blinked innocently. 'Me? Leering?'

His smile widened, then it faded away. He walked up to her and pressed his hands gently against the sides of her face.

'Sonea,' he began, 'if I don't—'

She put a finger to his lips, then pulled his head down so she could kiss him. He pressed his lips hard to hers, then drew her close against him.

'If I could send you far away, I would,' he said. 'But I know you'd just refuse to go. Just... don't do anything impulsive. I watched the first woman I loved die, I don't think I could survive losing the second.'

Sonea drew in a breath in surprise, the smiled.

'I love you, too.'

He chuckled, then kissed her again, but they both froze as a mental voice blared out.

—_Akkarin! Akkarin! What a pretty place you have here._

An image of the Guild Gates, and the University beyond, flashed into Sonea's mind.

'They're here,' Akkarin muttered. His arms slid from her shoulders.

'The Arena?'

He signed and pressed his lips together in defeat. 'It's that or the city,' he looked at her and offered his hand, 'come on, we'd better be quick.'

Sonea took Akkarin's hand and straightened her shoulders. With a deep breath they set off through the University towards the Arena.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

'So they've finally arrived,' Balkan murmured.

Rothen looked out at the city. The late afternoon sun sent long shadows across the streets. As he watched, three men stepped out and started towards the Guild Gates.

'What did Akkarin and Sonea plan to do once the Ichani knew they were here, Dorrien?' Balkan asked.

'I don't know. They never discussed it.'

Balkan nodded. 'Time for us to leave, then.'

Yet he did not move, and neither did Rothen and Dorrien. They stood and watched as the three Ichani passed between the gates and strode towards the University.

'Then, from below, came a hollow boom.

'What was that?' Dorrien exclaimed.

They leaned over the façade and look down. Rothen caught his breath as he saw the pair on the steps below.

'Sonea! And Akkarin.'

'They've closed the University doors,' Balkan said.

Rothen shivered. The University doors hadn't been closed for centuries.

'Should we call out and let them know we're here?' Dorrien asked quietly.

'Knowing you two are watching could be a distraction to Sonea.' Balkan warned.

'But I can use my powers now. I can help them.'

'So can I,' Rothen added. Dorrien glanced at him in surprise, then grinned.

Balkan frowned. 'I would like to communicate the fight to the rest of the Guild.'

'Dorrien and I will keep out of sight until we have an opportunity to help,' Rothen suggested.

Balkan nodded. 'Very well. Just be mindful of the moment you choose.'

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

The forest surrounding the Guild was striped with golden light. Twigs cracked under Gol's feet so frequently, Cery began to wonder if his second was deliberately trying to make a lot of noise. He glanced back and couldn't help smiling at the big man's strained expression.

'Don't worry,' Cery said. 'I've been here before. We should be able to watch without being seen.'

Gol nodded. They continued on. As Cery saw glimpses of buildings through the trees ahead, he quickened his stride. Gol fell a little behind.

Then Cery saw a figure crouching beside a tree trunk at the edge of the forest. He stopped and signalled to Gol to stay where he was and remain silent.

By the way Savara was cautiously peering round the tree, Cery knew she was anxious to avoid being discovered. Too late, he thought. He crept forward. When he was a few steps away from her, he straightened and crossed his arms.

'We can't seem to stop running into each other, can we?' he said.

It was gratifying to see her jump. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw him.

'Cery.' She shook her head at him disapprovingly. 'It's not wise to sneak up on magicians.'

'Isn't it?'

'No.'

'You've come to see the show, then?'

She smiled crookedly. 'That's right. Join me?'

He nodded. Beckoning to Gol, Cery crouched by the trunk of the other tree. As he saw what lay beyond, he felt his heart sink.

The University doors were closed and Sonea and Akkarin stood on the steps. The three Ichani were less than a hundred paces from the, advancing confidently.

'You and your friends have done well,' Savara murmured, 'if this is all that remains of Kariko's allies. Perhaps you have a chance after all.'

Cery smiled grimly. 'Perhaps we do. We'll just have to see.'

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Sonea blinked as an image of herself and Akkarin, seen from above, entered her mind. From the angle of the view, the watcher must be behind them, on top of the University. She caught a sense of Balkan's personality, but no thoughts or emotions.

—_If we can sense this, so can the Ichani._

—_Yes, Akkarin replied. Block out the images. They'll distract you._

—_But it will alert us to any trick the Ichani try._

—_And warn the Ichani of ours._

—_Oh. Should you tell Balkan to stop?_

—_No. The Guild should see this. They might learn—_

'Akkarin.'

Kariko's voice echoed across the grounds.

'Kariko,' Akkarin replied.

'I see you've bought your apprentice. Do you intend to trade her life for your life?'

A chill ran over Sonea's skin as the Ichani looked at her. She stared right back, and he smiled maliciously.

'I might consider taking her,' Kariko continued. 'I never liked my brother's taste in slaves, but he did show me that the Guild magicians can be surprisingly entertaining.'

Akkarin slowly started down the steps. As Sonea followed, she took care to stay within the blended magic of their shield.

'Dakova was a fool for keeping me,' Akkarin said, 'but he was always making stupid mistakes. It was hard to understand how a man with such power could have so little grasp of politics or strategy, but I guess that is why he was Ichani – and why he kept me.'

Kariko's eyes narrowed. 'You? I don't think so. If you are a master of strategy, why are you here? You must know you can't win?'

'Can't we? Look around you, Kariko. Where are all your allies?'

As Akkarin and Sonea reached the bottom f the steps, Kariko stopped. He was about twenty strides away.

'Dead, I suppose. And you killed them.'

'Some.'

'You must be worn out, then.' Karkio glanced at the other Ichani, then back at Akkarin. 'What a perfect end to our conquest. I will avenge my brother's death, and at the same time Sachaka will finally have revenge for what your Guild did to our land.'

He lifted a hand, and the other Ichani followed suit. Strikes flashed towards Sonea and Akkarin. She felt magic batter their shield, more powerful than any strike she had encountered before. But their combined shield was stronger than any shield she had created before, thanks to the magic taken from the arena. Akkarin sent a trio of strikes in reply but all curved inwards towards to attack Kariko.

More exchanges followed, and the air hummed with power. As Akkarin continued striking at Kariko and ignoring the other Ichani, the leader frowned. He said something to his companions. They moved closer, leaving only a narrow gap between their shields.

—_Strike Karkio from beneath_, Akkarin instructed.

As Sonea sent a heatstrike through the earth, Akkarin sent more curving down n Kariko from above. The other Ichani shifted their shields to meet Akkarin's strikes just as the ground began to steam beneath Kariko's feet.

Karkio glanced down, then said something quietly. His companions increased their attack.

—_Keep striking at Kariko from all directions._

Kariko appeared to have resigned himself to being the main target. He concentrated on shielding, while the others attacked. Sonea resisted a smile. This was all to her and Akkarin's advantage. Shielding took more power, so Kariko would be tiring faster.

It seemed they would stand and blast each other until one side finally weakened. Then the ground shifted violently beneath her. She staggered and felt a hand grab her arm. Looking down, she saw a dark hole forming below her feet and sensed a disc of power.

—_Hold the shield._

She forced her attention back to their barrier, taking the full brunt of the Ichani's attack so that Akkarin could concentrate on levitating. The air was full of grass and dirt and strikes. Akkarin moved them backward, but the shifting area of earth followed them. Through the dirt-filled air, Sonea saw the Ichani marching across the disturbed ground towards them.

Akkarin sent a dozen strikes at the Ichani. At the same time, a dozen weaker ones streaked from the direction of the gates. The Sachakans glanced to the side.

Sonea gasped as she saw the figure standing just inside the gates. Blue robes swirled around the man as he walked forwards.

'Lorlen!' Sonea gasped. But how could that be? Lorlen was dead. Or was he…?

Karkio sent a blast of energy towards the Administrator. It flashed through the magician and struck the gates. The bars of metal a=shattered, filling the street beyond with glowing spears and fragments.

Lorlen had vanished. Sonea blinked. It had been an illusion. Hearing a chuckle, she looked up to see Akkarin smiling grimly. Kariko and his companions looked unimpressed. They resumed their assault with greater ferocity.

Akkarin threw a rain of strikes at Kariko, testing the Ichani's shield. Kariko sent powerful blasts back. Akkarin sent a great net of heatstrike out, curving around to hit Kariko from all sides, just as Sonea had done in her last bout against Regin in the Challenge. She reached inside to judge the amount of power she had remaining; the battle so far had hardly dented the power she had taken from the arena. She increased the strength of the shield as the barrage of attacks continued.

'LOOK TO THE GATES!'

The voice came from the top of the University. Looking up, she saw Balkan on the roof of the building, pointing towards the gates. Spinning around, she took an involuntary step backward as she saw broken and bent black spears flying towards her – the remnants of the gates. They clattered into her shield and fell to the ground. She glanced at Akkarin to see his eyes narrowed in concentration.

—_The Ichani are weakening_, Akkarin sent.

Sonea looked at the Ichani. Kariko stood straight and smiling. The rest of the Ichani looked no less confident, but the strikes against her shield had weakened.

Akkarin took a step forward, then another. Kariko's face darkened. Sonea followed as Akkarin began to walk towards them. She sent her own strikes at the Ichani and felt a surge of satisfaction as they backed away.

As she felt the soft soil beneath her feet she realised that the shards of the broken gate were inside their shield, and she also thought she saw a glimpse of gold. She grabbed Akkarin's arm and gave them both a strong shield at skin level, and not a moment too soon. A golden knife surged out of the soil towards Akkarin's chest. Sonea felt the knife hit the shield and let out a breath as it dropped away back into the soil.

Sonea heard Kariko growl in frustration.

—_I have an idea, but I cannot strike and carry it out whilst holding both these shields_

—_What do you need me to do?_

—_Take on the inner shield, then cover your eyes and stop striking when I tell you._

Akkarin poured his power into the inner shield as Sonea reduced her input.

—_Ready? NOW!_

Sonea closed her eyes and covered her face as she simultaneously turned the outer shield into a bright ball of light and expanded it so that it covered the Ichani as well. The battering of both their shields reduced to nothing as the Ichani instinctively covered their eyes. Using the levitation disc Sonea removed herself and Akkarin from the light shield and back into the dusk, then made the light disappear.

—_Uncover your eyes and strike them with all we've got whilst they're blind!_

Opening her eyes, Sonea focused everything at Kariko and his allies.

The Ichani leader staggered backwards. For a moment his shield held, then his mouth opened in a silent scream as heatstrike burned through his body. The next man backed away but managed only a few steps before the onslaught of magic shattered his shield and burned through him. She felt a surge of triumph. The last Ichani stood his ground. She felt her power reserves depleting rapidly and she felt a rush of fear as the he began to advance.

—_Join our strikes!_ Akkarin's voice punched through the fear.

She sent out the last part of her magic and watched as it joined with Akkarin's magic. The Ichani's eyes widened as his shield wavered. Then, as the last of her magic flowed out, it fell. Heatstrike tore through him and he crumpled to the ground.

Balkan's mental transmission ended. All was silent. Sonea stared at the three bodies lying before the University. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.

'Sonea!' Akkarin cried out as she crumpled to the ground. He could do nothing to stop her since he was just as exhausted. As Akkarin's arms wrapped around her Sonea turned to look up at him.

'We did it,' she whispered hoarsely, 'we did it.' With shaking hands, Sonea ran her fingers over his face, then leant in and kissed him.


	2. The High Lord - Chapter 39 Part 1

A gentle warmth caressing Sonea's face woke her from her sleep. Blinking in the low light of the room, dark curtains blocking out the afternoon sunshine, her gaze immediately fell upon Akkarin's sleeping face. She drew in a small sharp breath. She had never seen him this peaceful, even during the time she watched him sleep in Sachaka. He looked so much younger, like he hadn't faced all the horrific trials in his life. She continued to watch him for several minutes, hardly daring to breathe. She didn't want him to wake only to remember all that he, that they, had lost yesterday. Especially Lorlen.

A sudden and deep ache appeared in Sonea's chest at the thought of never seeing Lorlen striding through the University. He had been so nice to her, she only wished that she could have seen him again rather than having her last memory of him begging her to stay in Kyralia. Maybe he would still be alive if she had.

A movement against her side bought her out of that dark place within her mind. Akkarin's arms circled her waist and she slipped her hands beneath his arms so they could lie chest to chest, legs entangled. His face tucked into her neck as she laid her head against his chest.

Sonea, listening to the pounding of Akkarin's heart, felt the rise and fall of his chest increase as he took shallower and shallower breaths. She clutched him tighter as a small sob escaped, then another, and another. The sound was heart-breaking. Tentatively, Sonea brushed her mind against Akkarins, trying to give more support than just physically being there.

Akkarin let a small stream of consciousness through, enough to let her feel his intense pain at losing Lorlen and his gratitude and love for her being there to comfort him. Soneas vision blurred as she held the strong, courageous man she had grown to love within her arms as he cried for the loss of his best friend.

A while later, Akkarins sobs became less frequent and his breaths slowed and deepened. Sonea felt his lips move against the skin of her neck,

'Thank you.' He breathed, barely audible, 'I am sorry you had to witness that.'

Shocked, Sonea pulled away so that she could look him in the eye. 'Don't you dare be sorry. You just lost your closest friend, and if I have to hold you every night for the next fifty years then so be it.'

'I hope I don't feel like this for the next fifty years,' he whispered, looking away.

Sonea freed an arm to place it gently against the side of his face, encouraging him to look back up at her. 'I'm not saying you will, but what I am saying is that I am always going to be there for you when you need me to be.'

Akkarin pressed his lips into Soneas palm, 'and I am always going to be there for you. No one but us knows what we've been through to achieve this. I am never going to let you go, unless you want me to of course.'

Hesitantly, Sonea leaned in and placed a light kiss upon his lips then rested her head against his. 'I don't want to let you go either.'

This time it was Akkarin who instigated the kiss. It started out slow and careful, desire coursed through her veins as Akkarin pulled her closer, the kiss becoming hungrier. Sonea's hand threaded through his long silky hair as he left a trail of kisses up her jaw and down her neck.

A knock at the door stopped them in their tracks. Akkarin slumped, groaning in disappointment, as Sonea laughed lightly.

Since Akkarin has ended up lying slightly on top of her, Sonea pressed lightly against his chest so that he rolled away to his side of the bed.

Pushing herself up, Sonea leaned against the backboard and curled her legs beneath her. Akkarin shuffled slightly so that they sat only inches apart, his long legs stretched out beneath the covers.

Shooting a small half smile at Sonea, Akkarin glanced towards the door and it opened to reveal Takan carrying a tray full of food.

'Good afternoon, master. Good afternoon, my Lady.' He stepped into the room, 'I heard you talking, and I have prepared some food. Would you like it in bed? It's not messy food.'

'That would be wonderful, thank you Takan.' Akkarin replied, and Takan moved to place the tray on the bed. 'What time is it, and what news of the Guild?'

'It is three hours after midday, and from what I have heard, which isn't much since I stayed here to make sure no one disturbed you, is that there have been a few meetings about various things to do with the city and the Guild. However, I believe you will learn more later as I have been told to inform you that your presence is needed in the Night Room tonight.'

Akkarin sighed, and Sonea detected that it wasn't his favourite place to be. 'Thank you, Takan.'

Takan bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

'Am I going to their meeting tonight as well?'

'They probably mean just me, but I don't think I could face everyone alone. I'll make sure that it's either both of us or none at all.'

Sonea nodded in (agreement) and turned her attention towards the food. Her stomach had been growling since the food had entered the room, she hadn't eaten since they had made the blood gems for each other at Cerys table.

Once they had both eaten their fill, Sonea shifted so that she was lying with her back against Akkarins chest, his arms loosely circled her waist.

'It seems that we have a couple of hours to kill. What do you want to do?'

'I am quite happy doing this, or we could go on a walk?'

Sonea looked up at Akkarin, 'would it be too painful to go up to the river source?'

'No, I think that's a good idea. Do you want to go now?'

'I seem to be well rested considering everything we've been through recently.' She felt inwards to look at the source of her power, 'and I have gained nearly my usual amount of power back.'

'Hmmm, I have as well. However, I do like staying in bed.'

Sonea raised an eyebrow, and Akkarin smiled wryly. 'Before, I had the image of the all-powerful High Lord to maintain, it wouldn't do for me to be seen lazing about. But now, I am a free man… of sorts. I can finally get all the lie ins I deserve, and it's even better now that I have someone to share them with.'

'Ok then, I suppose we can stay here a bit longer.' Sonea rested her head in the crook of his neck and relished in the ever-growing love that they shared.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Rothen reached the end of the corridor and looked up. After the devastation of the city, the undamaged majesty of the Great Hall was both heartening and somehow shameful. The Ichani Invasion, as the five days of death and destruction were now referred to, had been a battle between magicians. It seemed wrong that nothing within the Guild grounds had been damaged, with the exception of the ground outside the University and the depletion of the power in the Arena, when much of the Inner Circle was in ruins.

He crossed to the Guildhall, and slipped between the doors. The meeting of the Higher Magicians was to take place in one of the small preparation rooms at the front of the hall. Until a new Administrator was elected, it was considered inappropriate to use Lorlen's office.

Reaching the preparation room door, Rothen knocked. It swung open. As he stepped inside, he noted the magicians present, knowing that he was glimpsing the faces of the Guild's future hierarchy of power.

Lord Balkan paced the room. It was obvious from the way the others had automatically turned to him for leadership that he was a strong candidate for High Lord. Lord Osen watched Balkan calmly. Though clearly still deeply upset by Lorlen's death, he had gained a quiet purposefulness since being given the task of organising the city's recovery. Lorlen had been grooming Osen as his replacement for the last few years, so it would surprise no-one if the young man was elected Administrator.

So many Warriors had died that only a few candidates remained for the Head of the Warriors. Lord Garrel had been present for the last few meetings, which Rothen felt didn't bode well for the future. Balkan had also been managing the lesser Head of Warrior Studies role, but Rothen had heard the man suggest that the position would be filled by another at a future date, so perhaps Garrrel's sly, narrow-minded ways would be counter-balanced by a Warrior of more sensible character.

Lady Vinara would remain Head of Healers. Director Jerrick had made no indication he wanted to change his position, and no-one had suggested it. Lord Telano would probably remain Head of Healing Studies. No mention had been made of choosing someone for the role of Expatriate Administrator so far.

Lord Peakin would probably replace Lord Sarrin. One of the older teachers would be given Head of Alchemic Studies position, Rothen guessed. He could not help wondering, now and then, who his superior would be, but most of the time he was concerned with more important matters. Like Sonea, and Akkarin, he supposed.

And they were clearly the reason the Higher Magicians had summoned him today. As Balkan noticed Rothen's entrance he stopped pacing.

'How are they?'

Rothen sighed, shrugging. 'I don't know. I haven't seen them since yesterday. Sonea and Akkarin were exhausted after the battle. You saw what they did, it takes time for someone to recover from a battle of that magnitude. This will be especially hard on Sonea since she has had little practice at these sorts of things, Arena fights just don't prepare you enough. I did try and go see them earlier this afternoon but Taken refused to let me see either of them, they must have still been asleep.

'Well,' Balkan said. 'Taken has been given a message to make sure that Akkarin is present in the Night Room tonight so I guess we will see him there later.'

'Yes, I delivered the message to Taken myself this morning,' Osen injected. 'He assured me that Akkarin would get the message in time to be present.'

'What's going to happen to them?' Rothen asked, a slight hesitance in his tone.

'They need to be told where they stand within the Guild. There's no doubt that we need to keep them here,' Vinara answered. 'We cannot send them away again, especially now that they saved Imardin practically single handedly no less.'

Balkan nodded and let out a heavy sigh. 'You're right, of course.' He looked around at the other magicians. 'Very well, their positions and restrictions will be presented at the meeting tonight and then again at a meet later in the week to finalise the decision.'

'The restrictions have already been discussed, when Sarrin was chosen,' Peakin pointed out.

'The restrictions ought to be refined,' Garrel said. 'At the moment the only requirements are that they remain within the Guild's grounds, cannot hold a position of authority, and cannot teach. It should be spelt out that they cannot use their powers unless requested by us all.'

Rothen resisted a smile. _Us_ all? Garrel was certainly confident of gaining Balkan's position.

Vinara looked at Rothen. 'What do you suggest, Rothen?'

'I don't think Sonea will agree to any restrictions that keeps her within the Guild grounds.'

Balkan frowned. 'Why not?'

'She has always wanted to use her powers to help the poor. It was something to hold onto,' he glanced side-ways at Garrel, 'in difficult times. Don't take that from her.'

Vinara smiled thinly. 'And I suppose if he proposed she undertake some kind of charitable work in the city, it would give her a reason to stay with us.'

Rothen nodded. 'I think that if Sonea stays then Akkarin will too, I don't think he's going to leave her side for anything. If we try to banish him again then she will go with him. They will not be parted.'

Balkan crossed his arms. His fingers drummed against his sleeve. 'That will also help us regain the favour of the people. We didn't prove to be particularly effective defenders. I've heard that some even blame us for the Invasion.'

'Surely not!' Garrel exclaimed.

'It's true,' Osen said quietly. 'Even though we have lost nearly half our Guild members, and they lost only a few. They only see the destruction that we have caused to the places where they live.'

Garrel scowled. 'Ungrateful dwells.'

'Actually, it was certain members of the Houses who expressed that opinion on their return to the city.' Osen added. 'Including members of the House Paren, if I recall correctly.'

Garrel blinked in surprise, then flushed.

'Should we extend the area of confinement to the city, then?' Telano suggested.

'The idea of confinement was to ensure our black magician didn't have access to large number of victims, should he or she grow hungry for power,' Peakin said. 'What is the point of having an area of confinement, when it includes the highest density of population in the country?'

Rothen chuckled. 'And you'd have to persude the King to redefine what is considered part of the city. I don't think Sonea intended to restrict her help to those within the Outer Wall.'

'Confinement is clearly unworkable,' Vinara said. 'I suggest an escort.'

All eyes turned to her. Balkan nodded approvingly.

'And if the help she wants to give is Healing, she still has many years of training to complete.' Vinara looked at Rothen.

He nodded. 'I'm sure she's aware of that. My son has expressed a wish to teach her. If he is to assist her in this work, it could be more of a formal arrangement.'

She pursed her lips. 'It would not be appropriate for her to return to classes. It is not wise for a healer to have only one teacher, however. I will assist as well.'

Rothen nodded, suddenly too overwhelmed by gratitude to speak. He listened as the other continued to debate.

'What of Akkarin?' Peakin asked.

The circle of magicians fell into silence.

'As Rothen said they will not be parted, and I do not know his mind. Lorlen knew him best, he would have known what to do.' Vinara stated.

The others nodded, a sombre air filling the room at the reminder of those they had lost in the past week.

'He will have to be asked tonight how he thinks he may aide the Guild in the future.' Balkan said, 'he cannot teach, nor can he make decisions for the Guild.'

'Maybe, to begin with, he could write a record of the Invasion and the events leading up to it?' Rothen suggested, 'and then we could decide a new role at a later date once everything has settled.'

'That sounds like a fine idea,' Balkan said, 'I think the role would suit him. We will ask him tonight; he may also have other ideas that we can discuss.'

A small pause ensued.

'So will we still call them "Black Magicians"?' Peakin asked.

'Yes,' Balkan replied.

'And what colour robes will they wear?'

There was a short silence.

'Black,' Osen said quietly.

'But the High Lord's are black,' Telano pointed out.

Osen nodded. 'Perhaps it is time to change the High Lord's robes. Black will always remind people of black magic, which, despite everything, we do not want to encourage people to think of us wholly good and desirable. We need something fresh and clean.'

'White,' Vinara said.

Osen nodded. 'Yes.'

As the others voiced their agreement, Balkan made a strangled noise.

'White!' he exclaimed. 'You can't be serious. It's impractical, and impossible to keep clean.'

Vinara smiled. 'Now what would a High Lord be involved in that might stain his white robes?'

'A little excess wine consumption, maybe? Jerrick murmured.

The other chuckled.

'White it is, then,' Osen said.

'Wait,' Balkan looked from face to face, then shook his head. 'Why do I find myself thinking that you've made your minds up, and I won't win any argument about it?'

'It's a good sign,' Vinara said. 'One that suggests we have chosen a good strong set of people to be our Higher Magicians.' She looked around the group, then smiled as her eyes met Rothen's. 'You still haven't guessed, have you Lord Rothen?'

He stared at her, puzzled by her sudden question. 'Guessed what?'

'Of course, it still has to be put to the vote, but I don't expect anyone will protest.'

'About what?'

Her smile widened. 'Congratulations, Rothen. You're to be our new Head of Alchemic Studies.'

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

From the top of the two-story house, it was possible to see that the rubble formed a perfect circle. It was a sobering sight.

_Yet another to add to my list, _Cery thought. _Along with the ruins of the city walls, and the growing lines of bodies that the Guild had laid out across the lawn in front of the University._

He shivered and and made himself look down again. Hundreds of workers were sorting through the rubble. A few people had been found alive, buried near the edges of the destruction. It was impossible to know how many had been hiding in the houses when they were blasted to ruins. Most were probably dead.

All because of him. He should have paid more attention so Savara's warnings about what would happen when an Ichani died. But he had been too concerned with finding a way to kill a magician to think about how his people might survive the consequences.

'Back here again?'

Arms wound about his waist. A familiar spicy aroma filled his senses. His heart lightened for a moment, then began to hurt again.

'Must you go?' he whispered.

'Yes,' Savara replied.

'We could use your help.'

'No. You don't need me. Certainly not as a Sachakan magician. And you have plenty of volunteers to do non-magical work.'

'I need you.'

She sighed. 'No, Cery. You need someone you can trust, completely and unconditionally. I will never be that person.'

He nodded. She was right.

But it didn't make parting easier.

Her arms tightened. 'I'll miss you,' she added quietly. 'If… if I'm welcome, I'll drop in whenever my duties take me this way.'

He turned to face her and lifted one eyebrow as if considering.

'I might have a few bottles of Anuren dark left,'

She smiled broadly and he could not help feeling better, even if it was just for a moment. Ever since the final battle, he had felt a terrible fear of loss, and he had tried to keep her from leaving. But Savara didn't belong in Kyralia. Not now. And he was letting his heart's demands overtake common-sense. That was something a Thief should never do.

Hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted her head and kissed her, slowly and firmly. Then he stepped back.

'Go on, then. Go home. I don't like long goodbyes.'

She smiled, then turned away. He watched her saunter to the hatch in the roof, then descend through the ceiling below. When she was gone, he turned to regard the workers again.

Much had changed. He must be ready for the consequences. Snippets of information had come his way, and he was probably not the only one to realise what they might lead to. If the King did truly intend to end the yearly Purge, there would be one less reason for the Thieves to work together. And there were rumours of certain deals already being made between the other underworld leaders.

He smiled and straightened his shoulders. He had prepared for a day when Akkarin's support ended, he doubted that the other Guild magicians would give Akkarin much free rein now. Deals had been made with useful and powerful people. Wealth and been stowed, and information gathered. His position was strong.

Soon he would find out if it was strong enough.


	3. The High Lord - Chapter 39 Part 2

It was nearly half four in the afternoon by the time Akkarin and Sonea left the house for their walk. They had left the house a little earlier to briefly freshen up in the baths, only offering nods towards any other magicians they had seen. Their cloaks fluttered over the ground as they started up the path towards the forest. They had decided against wearing the robes and had donned the simple garb of a dwell, much like the items of clothing Sonea had worn when she first lived in the Magicians Quarters with Rothen. So much has changed since then, Sonea reflected. She was now an extremely powerful black magician, the person she had hated was now her lover, and she had gained another family with Rothen and Dorrien. She would get to see them again tonight, at the meeting in the Night Room. She bit her lip as she thought about the summons to the meeting. Were they going to exile her and Akkarin again? Surely not, they had saved Imardin from being overthrown _despite_ being exiled.

Tentatively, Akkarin brushed his fingertips against the back of Soneas hand, she pushed all the negative thoughts out of her mind and smiled up at him, slipping her hand into his. He lifted her hand to his lips, smiling back at her with a softness in his eyes.

The sun shone through the trees leaving a carpet of light and dark scattered over the forest floor. Their walk continued in a comfortable silence at a gentle pace so that by the time they reached the spring neither were severely winded.

Akkarin sat on one of the rocks with a practised ease, leaning his back against the rock wall behind. Sonea hesitated, unsure whether he would want space to grieve, but her decision was made by Akkarin when he opened his arms as an invitation. She settled on the rock beside him, his arms pulling her close as she rested her head against his shoulder. She let out a small sigh of contentment and felt a light kiss brush the top of her head.

Sonea listened to the bubbling of the spring and the loud chattering of the birds hidden in the branches of the forest as the sky slowly faded from blue to a light orange on the horizon. Akkarin broke the silence with a whisper.

'Lorlen and I used to come up here to escape Lord Margen's lectures.'

'Yes, I know. You told me that the last time we were here.'

'Oh, yes, so I did. I'm sorry.'

'No, it's ok. A lot has happened since then.'

Akkarin chuckled.

'Yes, a lot _has_ happened since the last time we were here.' He gave Sonea a light squeeze, 'you were so afraid of me. I am sorry about that, and I am sorry for what I made you do. It was necessary at the time although I deeply regret it now.'

'I forgive you. And you didn't make me do anything, all the decisions I made were mine. You just pushed me in a certain direction, a direction that I needed to go.' Sonea looked up at him. 'I know how hard it was to shoulder everything that you went through, but it's over now. That part of your life is closed, and you can move onto the next chapter.'

'Thank you.' His voice quiet, 'I couldn't have done it without you. You have changed me in a way I thought no one could, not even Lorlen.'

He lapsed into silence. Sonea could hear and feel his breathing become a little sharper.

'Tell me about him. What was he like? I only knew him as an Administrator.'

'He is… was my best friend.' Akkarin stated after a few calming breaths. 'We were in the same intake but didn't instantly hit it off if you can believe that. We were the strongest magicians in our intake and were constantly competing to be the best. We soon realised that we could compete and still be friends, and it was then that we started getting into trouble.'

He chuckled.

'We were a nightmare to begin with. The two best magicians in our intake playing pranks on our classmates and even a few of the Lords.'

'Really!? How did you manage that!?'

'As I told you earlier, we skipped Lord Margen's lessons every now and again because of how strict he was. The prank we played on him was pretty harmless but was hilarious at the same time. Whilst he was lecturing, one of us, or an unknowing classmate, would distract him with a question and the other would remove the chalk from the chalkboard via levitation. We did this over and over again, and he would get so frustrated about losing every single piece of chalk he put down, but he never caught us. We kept the chalk we stole and then, right near the end of term just before exams, we hid it in a little alcove above the board. Then, near the end of the class we levitated it out of the alcove as one huge clump and hovered it above his head. The rest of the class noticed at that point, but no one said anything because no one wanted to be punished for speaking out of turn. He did notice the shocked faces though and demanded to ask what was wrong, it was then that we released the chalk. Right onto the top of his head!'

Akkarin laughed until he was gasping for breath.

'He was… so surprised… that he… didn't… shield… or do… _anything_.' His laughter echoed around the rocks, and Soneas laughter joined the chorus. 'No one had ever dared to play a prank on him, and there he stood, covered head to foot in white chalk!

Akkarin dissolved into laughter once more.

'He was furious.' Akkarin chuckled. 'Absolutely furious, and he now knew it was Lorlen and I because we couldn't hold back our laughter whereas the rest of the class were just plain terrified! Margen shouted at us so badly that the other Lords teaching nearby came in. We were punished very severely; I don't think that there's been a punishment as bad since that prank.'

Akkarins laughter petered off, leaving his breathing quick and shallow.

'I miss him,' Akkarin eventually choked out as his body shook with held back sobs. Sonea turned in his arms, shocked at the quick turn in emotion. She wound her arms around his shoulders, supporting him as he mourned the loss of his best friend once again. Tears pricked in her eyes as she listened to his anguished cries.

Gradually the sobs quietened.

'It will be ok,' she murmured into his hair. 'You're going to get though his. I'll help you, I always will.'

Akkarin lifted his head to look her in the eyes. They were bloodshot and watery, tear tracks glistened on his cheeks in the weak sunlight. His hand raised to touch Soneas face, and he brushed a tear away. The pain of Akkarins cries had been too much for Sonea to bear without shedding a tear. Sonea gently wiped at Akkarins cheeks, getting rid of the tear stains. He rested his forehead against Soneas, eyes open and vulnerable. He looks like a lost boy, a child who has been left alone for too long.

Akkarin pulled Sonea back into the position they had been sitting in before, and they watched the setting sun in silence. Sonea trailed her fingertips over the back of his hands which were folded over her stomach.

After a while, Akkarin sighed.

'Takan has made us dinner. We should leave now if we want to eat without rushing before the meeting.'

He stood and held a hand out for Sonea, helping her to her feet. Placing a lingering kiss at her hairline he took her hand and they started down the hill towards the Guild.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Takan didn't disappoint with the meal that evening and soon Sonea was pleasantly full. Their conversation throughout the meal had been minimal and inconsequential, but now that it was over Akkarin spoke.

'I should suspect that there will be quite a few magicians there tonight, even though this is an informal meeting. We are likely to be told rules and restrictions.'

'Do you think they'll exile us again?'

'I doubt it, they know that they need us now in case of another invasion. We'll need to be ready for some strict rules to be suggested. However, there is another option if you want it.'

'What is it?'

'We could leave. We would never be allowed to return; it would be a self-exile of sorts, but we could choose where we wanted to go.'

Sonea was already shaking her head.

'No, I want to stay if I am allowed. I won't leave my family behind.'

'I thought you would say that. I was only offering another option just to cover everything.'

'Ok.' Sonea paused, 'this may sound like a silly question, but what do we say about our… relationship?'

Akkarin rubbed a hand over his chin as he thought.

'I don't think we should go around telling everyone, but if rumours surface then don't deny them. If that's ok with you of course?'

'That's sounds like a good plan.'

'Speaking of good plans, we should get ready to go. We need to be there soon; I'd rather not be late tonight.'

'What should we wear? Robes or this?'

Sonea gestured to her clothing.

'We should wear robes. We are magicians after all, however the only ones I have are black ones. They'll have to do for tonight, I'll just have to take the High Lord's incal off them first.'

'But I'm not a full magician.'

Soneas mood grew sombre. And she may never be one, they probably won't teach her now that she's learnt black magic.

'You should still wear black. Maybe we can cut it so that they're the length of novice robes? Actually, no, you'll wear full length black robes.'

'What? Why?'

'Because when we were exiled you were about to choose a discipline, and since you learnt black magic instead of healing then I'd say that you're a full magician of black magic.'

Akkarin looked upon Soneas downcast face.

'I know you wanted to be a healer, but I don't know how much freedom they're going to give us now. We'll just have to wait and see.'

Sonea nodded. Akkarin stood and walked around the table to embrace her.

'We'll get through this. Just one day at a time. Ok?'

'Ok.'

They walked up to Akkarins room together and donned the black robes minus the incal.

'How do I look?' Sonea held the black robes out, 'it feels weird wearing long robes.'

'Intimidating,' he teased, but magnificent.' Sonea rolled her eyes. 'You'll have them all quaking in their boots. What about me?'

Sonea look Akkarin up and down. He looked just like he looked before the exile.

'Absolutely perfect.' She pressed a kiss to his lips, 'as usual.'

'Great. Shall we get going then?'

Sonea nodded, suddenly not trusting her voice.

They strolled across the Guild grounds; arms entwined. Neither in a hurry to reach their destination. Their grip on each other tightened as they came into view of the many bodies that lined the courtyard in front of the University.

'So many.' Sonea whispered.

Lorlen was there somewhere, and not for the first time in her life, Sonea was glad for the darkness. She didn't allow Akkarin to stop, they couldn't afford to break down right now.

'Come on,' she tugged slightly at his arm as he slowed. 'We can pay our respects later, or tomorrow when it's lighter.'

Akkarin nodded and they walked faster towards the Night Room.

It was not long before Sonea stood hand in hand with Akkarin at the door of the Night Room. She looked up at him.

'Are you ready?' She asked.

'No. You?'

'Nope. Let's get this over with.'

Akkarin smiled, gave her a quick peck on the lips, and pushed opened the door.


	4. The High Lord - Chapter 39 Part 3

The room fell silent as Akkarin walked through the door into the Night Room, Sonea stood behind him, unnoticed.

'Good evening everyone. I hope we are not late.'

'We?' Lord Garrel asked from somewhere near the back of the room. Akkarin stepped further into the room to allow Sonea to enter and then closed the door behind her. Sonea blinked in surprise at the vast number of magicians situated around the room. To cover her nerves, she bent at the waist, offering a bow to the room.

'Good evening Lords and Ladies of the Guild.' A smatter of whispering graced her ears. She was not going to be afraid of their judgement and decisions and stood tall meeting the eyes trained on her.

'The request was for you alone, Akkarin.' Garrel continued. 'Sonea, please return to your—'

'Sonea has as much of a right to be here as I do,' Akkarin interrupted. 'The decisions regarding the fate of Black Magicians affect her too and she should get to hear them and voice her opinions.'

'He's right, Lord Garrel,' Lord Balkan injected as Lord Garrel opened his mouth to argue. 'Sonea should be here to hear our plans.'

'Fine,' Lord Garrel grumbled, 'but Sonea, why are you wearing full robes? You have not earned them.'

'That was at my behest,' Akkarin said before Sonea could make a sound. 'She was about to choose a discipline before we were exiled, and since I have taught her everything I know about Black Magic then I determined that she has become a full Magician in the discipline of Black Magic. If you wish to change this, we would be happy to do so.'

'Yes, that was one of the points we were going to bring up this evening.' Lord Balkan answered. 'We might as well start with it.' Lord Balkan gestured for Akkarin and Sonea to take a seat near the centre of the room where a circle of chairs was set out. Sonea stayed within touching distance of Akkarin's robes, ignoring the stares that followed them through the room. Within the circle of chairs sat Lords Garrel, Balkan, Telano, Peakin, Osen, and Rothen, who offered her a warm smile, as well as Lady Vinara and Director Jerrick. The rest of the Magicians in the room were sat in other chairs or stood around the them. A quiet hum of talking had begun around the room. Rothen stood as they neared the circle of chairs, and enveloped Sonea in a hug.

'How are you?' He asked quietly, only Akkarin was close enough to hear their conversation.

'I'm ok, still rather tired even though we slept until after noon,' Sonea paused, 'and nervous. Are we to be exiled again, Rothen?'

'No, you are not. Do not worry, Sonea, I have a feeling that you'll both be quite happy with the decisions that have been discussed.' A weight lifted off Sonea's chest, one that she had not realised had been there, and she felt like she could breathe again.

Akkarin retrieved a chair from somewhere and placed it next to Rothen's chair. Then he sat, leaving a space between him and Rothen's chair for Sonea to sit. Sonea sank into the armchair and tried not to let her tiredness show, despite all the sleep and lounging in bed, the past few days had really taken its toll both mentally and physically, and she was not sure if she was going to stay awake through the whole meeting. She looked around the circle at the eyes observing her and Akkarin, they all looked rather nervous. Apart from Lady Vinara who gave her a warm smile, Sonea tentatively smiled back before a light brush of fingertips on her hand bought her attention to Akkarin.

—Are you alright?

—There's a lot of people here.

—You've faced almost all of them before.

—Yeah, but that was in the Meet. This feels… more real.

—It will be ok, you heard what Rothen told you. I expect we will get a little more free reign than they had originally planned for Black Magicians before we were exiled.

Before Sonea could reply, a mental call from Lord Balkan entered everyone's minds.

—Magicians! Please could I have your silence and attention.

The room went silent and Sonea turned her attention to Lord Balkan.

'This informal meeting was called to inform the Magicians of the Guild of the decisions made by the Higher Magicans earlier today, and to discuss the future of the Guild along with the futures of Lord… Black Magician Akkarin and Sonea.

I would like to start by saying that in two days time, at noon, we will be holding a service to honour those who gave their lives for the sake of Kyralia. The location will be decided tomorrow after the assessment of the damage to the buildings and grounds have been completed.'

A solemn quiet extended throughout the room, quieter than it had been after Lord Balkan had asked for silence.

'I would also like to formally thank Black Magician Akkarin and Sonea for the service and protection they have provided for Kyralia these past few days and, if I may say so, years in Akkarin's case. Imardin, if not Kyralia, would be in the hands of the Ichani right now if you had not come back. So, I thank you.'

Then Lord Balkan surprised Sonea, and quite a few other magicians by the look on their faces, by standing and bowing first at Akkarin then to her. Heat flushed to Sonea's cheeks unsure of how to acknowledge this form of thanks. Others in the room also rose, starting with Rothen and Lady Vinara, and bowed at them too, including a begrudging but respectful bow from Lord Garrel. Sonea turned slightly to look at Akkarin who to her surprise seemed uncomfortable with the attention and was staring around in shock. Tears pricked in Sonea's eyes as she realised what an honour it was to have all the Guild Magicians bowing to them, despite their Black Magician status.

'Thank you,' Akkarin said quietly. His voice reached the corners of the room, and there was a rustling of robes as everyone settled back into their previous positions. Lord Balkan cleared his throat, pulling a piece of paper from within his robes.

'The Higher Magicians had a meeting earlier today to discuss the items on this list which we are about to share with you. There will be opportunity for opinions and discussion after each item has been read and explained. Is everyone clear?'

Lord Balkan took the silence that greeted him as confirmation.

'The first item is that Akkarin and Sonea, and any future black magic learners, will henceforth be labelled as Black Magicians, and it shall be their title as mine is 'Lord' and Director Jerrick's is 'Director'. Please raise a red orb of light if you disagree and wish to state your opinion.'

Sonea observed the room and no lights appeared. Lord Balkan nodded and wrote a note on his list.

'The second item is on the subject of robes. The Black Magicians will wear full length black robes, Black Magicians in training will wear a black sash over their selected disciplines robe until they are deemed competent in Black Magic. They will be allowed to wear a sash of their previous discipline once fully trained. The High Lord's robes will now be white.' Lord Balkan's voice seemed to go a bit terse towards the end of his statement, Sonea noted, it must be because he is the most popular choice for the High Lord's position. 'Does anyone object to these decisions?'

Once again, no lights appeared. Lord Balkan sighed, making a note on his list.

'The third item discusses the Black Magician's power. In this sense, the Black Magicians must be willing to have their store of power observed at regular and irregular intervals to make sure that he or she is not storing up a vast quantity of power. If their power has increased beyond their usual amount then that power must be released, either through use of harmless magic or into one of the arenas. They may only take power from magic wielders with permission from the Higher Magicians, and the person they are taking it from, or their family, in case of a dying magician who wishes to be buried. In times of war or conflict, the power they need to accumulate to fight will be taken from the arena or anyone willing to donate their power. Does anyone raise an issue with this?'

This time a couple of red orbs glowed throughout the room, including from Akkarin.

'Black Magician Akkarin?'

'May I ask who would test our power, and what would the regular intervals be?' A few red orbs blinked out.

'I would suggest a group of people including the Administrator, myself, and the heads of disciplines. The tests would be done daily, but sporadically so that the Black Magician doesn't know when to expect a visitor.'

'That seems fair enough. The reading wouldn't take very long and I am sure that Sonea and I can shield our thoughts of Black Magic for the duration.'

'Does anyone disagree or have any other qualm about this item?'

One light remained red.

'Lord Garrel?'

'May I ask how this would stop the Black Magician from overpowering or reading the power-reader's mind?' A smatter of muttering rippled around the room. Akkarin spoke up.

'You have my word that I will not over-power anyone, nor read their mind, without their permission.' Akkarin looked at Sonea expectantly.

'I swear the same, I would never do either of those things.' Sonea's voice came out clear and confident, which surprised her considering who she was speaking to.

Akkarin smiled at her briefly and then continued, 'would it ease everyone's minds if I suggest a punishment of exile for doing either of those things without permission? To also include the excess accumulation of power as well?' This time it was more than whispers that rolled around the room after the initial shock of the statement. Sonea realised that it was actually quite a clever plan. Although there was no reason that she would ever over-power someone or read their mind, it would make all the rest of the magicians more comfortable knowing that Akkarin suggested the punishment rather than the punishment being forced upon them by someone else.

'Magicians!' Lord Balkan called over the talking. 'Those in favour of this punishment suggested by Black Magician Akkarin please raise a white orb, those not in favour please raise a red orb.'

Sonea willed a small white orb to appear above her head, and she saw that Akkarin had raised one as well. She looked over at Rothen, who still seemed to be trying to decide. She gave him an encouraging smile, and his eyes widened slightly at the white orb hovering above her head. Surely, he must not think that she would disagree with the terms, not when it is for all future Black Magicians as well. Rothen nodded to her and sent up a white orb as well.

The room had brightened considerably with all the white orbs floating above the magicians' heads. There was not one red orb in sight.

'Right,' Lord Balkan said after surveying the room. 'We are all in agreement, please remove the lights. There will be a punishment of exile to any Black Magician who, without permission from the Higher Magicians, over-powers a fellow magician, accumulates more than their usual amount of power, or reads the mind of an unwilling person.' He made a note on his list and then looked up again. 'Does anyone else have anything they would like to add about this item?'

No one spoke or raised a red orb.

'The next item regards Sonea and her education.' Sonea met Lord Balkan's eyes as he looked at her. Her heart sank, there was no way that she was going to be able to help the dwells with healing now that she was a Black Magician. They would deem it too risky for her to have access to so many people with potential magic. Maybe she would get to continue alchemy.

'As Sonea has not completed her studies due to her recent exile, the Higher Magicians have decided that she will continue her education at the Guild. She will continue learning as if she hadn't left, however she may not learn within the classroom with the other students. Is it correct, Sonea, that you were going to choose the Healing discipline before your exile?'

'Yes, that is correct, Lord Balkan.'

'Then you will continue to learn on that course of study with Lady Vinara and Lord Dorrien as your teachers.' Sonea turned to look at Lady Vinara who was smiling at her.

'Really?' Sonea asked, the shock evident in her voice.

'Yes, Sonea,' Lady Vinara replied softly. 'Lord Dorrien and I will continue your education in healing and medicine, and you will sit the same exams as the rest of the students at your level.'

'Thank you!' Sonea smiled happily. She was going to get to be a healer!

'Once Lady Vinara and Lord Dorrien deem you capable, you will also be allowed to enter the city with an escort to administer healing to those whom you think need it the most.' Lord Balkan continued. Sonea beamed in delight, they were going to let her do what she had wanted to do when she became a member of the Guild! She was going to be able to help those that needed it most in the city. Sonea turned to Akkarin in joy, and she could see the happiness in his face as well.

'There is one stipulation to this.' Sonea turned back to Lord Balkan, her smile fading slightly. 'I am going to have to request that you both make one of those blood gems so that whoever escorts you when you are out in Imardin will be able to see what you are doing, and no Black Magic will be performed on the inhabitants of the city. You will not be required to wear this gem inside the Guild grounds. If you do not agree to this then you will not be allowed outside the Guild grounds.'

Sonea bit her lip and then looked towards Akkarin.

'Would you mind if Sonea and I had a private conversation to discuss this? We may need to talk about the Black Magic in relation to the blood gem, and I would rather not do that out loud.'

Lord Balkan nodded in agreement, 'two minutes.'

Akkarin held out is hand for her to take so that they could communicate without the worry of someone overhearing.

—Would it work?

—The wearer would only be able to read our surface thoughts and what we are seeing. We would have to be very careful with what we thought about when wearing those rings, we could very easily reveal an aspect of Black Magic. I know how much this means to you.

—What about saying that the escort will have to volunteer and be then be chosen with regards to becoming a Black Magician? Then if they do happen to learn something accidentally then we can teach them to become a Black Magician, I am pretty sure we are going to have to teach someone else eventually.

—I agree, and that sounds like a good idea. However, we can't just keep changing escorts every time we let something slip through. We may end up with a lot of Black Magicians to teach.

—There would have to be two willing volunteers, one for each of us in case we are allowed to into the city together.

—And although this may be hard to hear, if both the original escorts accidentally learn Black Magic then we will confine ourselves to the Guild.

Sonea knew that Akkarin could feel her dismay.

—Sonea, I honestly think that we could keep Black Magic from anyone wearing a blood gem. I don't think there is any need to worry, as long as you keep your focus on the healing and don't let your thoughts stray to Black Magic then you'll be fine.

—Okay, will you explain?

—Of course.

Akkarin squeezed her hand then released it to look at Lord Balkan and the rest of the Higher Magicians.

'Sonea and I have discussed your proposition and we agree with it, but we have something to add. There will need to be two volunteers to be our escorts, but these volunteers will have to be willing to become Black Magicians in case they happened to learn anything through the blood gem. Hence, I suggest that they are chosen carefully. The blood gem will only allow surface thoughts to be read, not like mental communication, and if Sonea or I accidentally think about how to perform Black Magic then we will have to teach that magician everything. We have also come to the decision that there will only be two escorts, if both accidentally learn Black Magic then all four of us will be confined to the Guild grounds.'

Lord Balkan nodded, agreeing with the terms. 'Please raise a white light if you agree, and a red light if not.'

This time there were a few red lights scattered among the sea of white.

'Why are we letting the Black Magicians into the city at all?' A male voice called from the back of the room, one Sonea did not recognise. 'Why not let the people who need help come to the Guild?'

Sonea surprised herself by answering the question, 'because the people who live in the slums distrust magicians. It might be better after how we saved the city the past couple of days, but it also might be worse considering how much damage was done. To be able to help the people in the way I want to help, I would need to be able to meet with them where they feel comfortable. I also hope that it will also help smooth out the distrust between the Guild and the people in the less affluent areas of the city, especially if the Purge is discontinued.'

Everyone in the room went silent at her answer, and the red lights disappeared.

'Well put, Sonea.' Lady Vinara said with a nod, 'it will also allow for the testing of magical ability within the people of the city rather than just the houses which I believe is an item on the list for tonight.'

'Yes, that is true.' Lord Balkan mused, looking down his list. 'Before we get onto that, does everyone agree to Sonea's continued education, and the rules put in place regarding Black Magicians venturing into the city. The escorts will be decided at a later date.'

White light filled the room.

'Now, the next item to discuss is recruiting students from outside the houses. I know this is tradition, but we have lost a lot of magicians this last week and we will need to rebuild our ranks quickly in case we are taken advantage of whilst we are down. We would start with the wealthy merchant families and move out from there, and if there are any strong magical abilities found within the city as a result of administering healing then they would be considered too. Does anyone disagree?'

To Sonea's surprise, as she raised a white orb above her head, there were few red lights scattered about the room. Their complaints were only about tradition and were quickly squashed by Lord Balkan. Sonea was now starting to feel exhausted, and she rested her head on the back of the chair wrapping her arms around her stomach. She hoped that the meeting would not go on much longer, if they were only halfway through then she was sure that she would not make it to the end without falling asleep.

'The sixth item regards Black Magician Akkarin's role within the Guild.' Lord Balkan turned to Akkarin. 'Since you cannot teach, nor hold a position of responsibility we have decided that for now we would like you to write a detailed account of the Ichani Invasion. You have permission to interview people either out in the open, or two people at a time in a more private setting. If you would like to do this then we can discuss another position at a later date, if not you may suggest other roles for us to discuss.'

'I would be honoured to write an account of what has happened. Do you have a timescale in mind? And how far back would you like me to go?'

'You may take as long as you need to gather all the details, and as for how far back… start with your initial findings that led to this but exclude how to learn Black Magic.'

'Of course. As for a role once I have finished this account, may I suggest that I become a records keeper of sorts where I keep accounts of the business of the Guild?'

'I will agree with that, does everyone else agree?'

The sea of white lights appeared, and to Sonea's surprise there was, once again, no opposition. She had thought that there would be at least a couple of people who would disagree regardless of what role was chosen for Akkarin to do. She turned to him with a smile to find him looking happily at her, and she remembered how much Akkarin liked reading and discovering about the history of magic. This was the perfect role for him.

'I believe we have finished all the items regarding Black Magicians, does anyone have anything else to add?'

The room remained silent, then Akkarin spoke.

'May I ask where Sonea and I will live?'

'Oh,' huffed Lord Balkan, rubbing his chin. 'I hadn't even thought of that.' He paused for a moment. 'I think that for now you may stay where you are, but a new residence will be built for the Black Magicians, one without connections to the city. Whilst you continue to stay in the High Lord's residence there will be magicians placed to guard the tunnel.'

'That is fair, thank you.'

'Does anyone have anything to add?'

'Would it be wiser to separate the Black Magicians?' Someone asked from behind Sonea. Lord Balkan paused.

'No, I think it would be a good idea for them to keep an eye on each other. They are likely the only ones that would be able to hold off an attack from another Black Magician. The Higher Magicians will give this some more thought, and if you have any further thoughts please relay them to me. This will need a discussion that will take too long tonight because we will have to factor in who the new Black Magicians will be, if you would like to volunteer for the role of escort for Black Magicians Akkarin and Sonea then please send that my way as well.' Lord Balkan made a lengthy note on his list then looked up again. 'Is there anything else someone would like to add regarding the Black Magicians.'

This time the room remained silent.

'Well then, that concludes this evening's informal meeting and I thank you for coming. There will be a Meet held once the rest of this building is deemed safe to decide on who will take the roles of High Lord, Administrator, and Head of Alchemic studies. Good night everyone.'

A low rumble rippled around the room as people started moving and talking. Sonea watched sleepily as people formed groups and discussed the meeting. Akkarin had been drawn into a conversation with Lord Balkan, and Director Jerrick. On her other side, Rothen and Dannyl were talking with Lord Osen. Sonea could hardly keep her eyes open so she let them slide shut and just listened to the rumble of voices. She could not make out what anyone was saying, and the rumble of voices lulled her into a light sleep.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

The carriage rocked gently on its springs. Outside, endless fields and the occasional farmhouse slowly passed by. Inside, Dannyl and Tayend raised wine glasses to each other.

'A drink to Lord Osen, who decided that you would best serve the Guild as Ambassador in Elyne,' Tayend said. 'And for letting us travel overland.'

'To Osen,' Dannyl replied. He took a sip of the wine. 'You know I would have stayed, if he'd asked me to.'

Tayend smiled. 'Yes, and I would have stayed with you though I'm glad I didn't need to. Kyralians are so suffocatingly _conservative_.' He bought his glass to his lips, then looked away and his expression grew sober. 'He's smart to send you back, though. A lot of people will question the Guild's authority now. It proved to be a bit ill-prepared for war.

Dannyl chuckled. 'Just a bit.'

'More people will be inclined to think like Dem Marane,' Tayend continued. 'You'll need to convince those people that the Guild is still in charge, when it comes to magic.'

'I know.'

'Then there's this issue of black magic. You'll have to show people that the Guild really has no choice but to learn it again. Ah, it could get a bit intense in the next few months.'

'I know.'

'It might take years, even.' Tayend smiled. 'But, of course, there's no reason you couldn't stay in Elyne, once your time as Ambassador is over, is there?'

'No.' Dannyl smiled. 'Osen granted the position to me indefinitely.'

Tayend's eyes widened, then he grinned. 'He did? That's wonderful!'

'He said something about Elyne suiting me better than Kyralia. And that I should not let concerns about rumours stop me from cherishing and enjoying our friendship.'

The scholar's eyebrows rose. 'Did he really? Do you think he knows about us?'

'I wonder. He didn't seem at all disapproving. But I could be reading more into his comment than he meant to say. He has just lost a good friend and mentor.' Dannyl hesitated, 'though it does make me wonder how much it would really change things if people knew.'

Tayend frowned. 'Now don't you get any stupid ideas about that. If you told the Guild, and they got a scandalised and send you away, I'd still follow you. And when I found you, I'd give you a good kick for being such an idiot.' He paused, then grinned. 'I love you, but I also love that you're in an important Guild magician.'

Dannyl chuckled. 'That's just as well. I could change the important part, and even the Guild part, but the magician part doesn't come as an option.'

Tayend smiled. 'Oh, I doubt I'll ever change my mind about you. I think you'll have to put up with me for a very long time yet.'


End file.
